The disclosed embodiments relate generally to methods and apparatus for selecting or ranking items such as Internet memes to present to a user.
Microblogging is a modern communication paradigm in which users post bits of information that are visible by their communities. For example, the information that is posted may include brief text updates or micromedia such as images (e.g., photos), video or audio clips. Such a posting may be referred to as an Internet meme.
The term “Internet meme” may be used to generally describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. At its most basic, an Internet meme may be the propagation of a digital file or hyperlink from one person to others using methods available through the Internet, such as electronic mail (email), blogs, social networking sites, and instant messaging. The term may also refer to the content that spreads from user to user, the idea behind the content, or the phenomenon of its spread.
When a user finds an Internet meme of another user interesting, the user can eventually repost it, thus allowing Internet memes to propagate virally through a social network. An Internet meme may stay the same each time it is reposted, or the Internet meme may evolve over time.